Where are olives produced? A complete overview of the latest distribution of major production areas nationwide
The olive is also known as Chinese white olive, green fruit, mountain olive, white olive, red olive, etc. It is a tree plant of the genus Canarium in the Burseraceae family, a famous subtropical specialty fruit tree with a long history of cultivation. Records of the olive already appear in the ancient book "Qimin Yaoshu," and it often grows wild below 1,300 meters above sea level in valley and hillside mixed forests, or is cultivated in courtyards and beside villages. Now let us take a look together at where olives are produced!
Where are olives produced?
The olive originated in southern China. It is cultivated in areas such as Fujian, Taiwan, China, Guangdong, Guangxi and Yunnan in China, and is distributed from northern to central Vietnam. It is cultivated in Japan (Nagasaki, Okinawa) and the Malay Peninsula. Within China, it is most widely distributed in Fujian Province, and it is also found in parts of Sichuan, Zhejiang and Taiwan, China. Besides China, countries that cultivate olives include Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar, India and Malaysia.
The production environment of olives
The olive likes warmth. During the growing period it needs suitably high temperatures to grow vigorously and bear fruit well. It grows best in areas with an annual average temperature above 20°C and no severe frost damage in winter. In winter it can endure short periods of low temperatures down to minus 3°C, but when the temperature drops below 4°C, severe frost damage occurs. It can grow normally in areas with rainfall of 1,200-1,400 mm. It has wide adaptability to soil and can be cultivated along riverbanks, on hills and mountains, and in red-yellow soil and gravelly soil. As long as the soil layer is deep and drainage is good, it can grow well.
China's hometowns of olives
1. China's hometown of olives: Fujian ranks first nationwide in olive production. Minhou's olive planting area and output have ranked first in Fujian for many years. In 1996, Minhou County was rated as the “Hometown of Chinese Olives” by units including the Development Research Center of the State Council, and in 2006 Minhou County passed the acceptance inspection for the olive standardization demonstration zone of the Ministry of Agriculture.
2. China's hometown of oil olives: Kaijiang County in Sichuan Province is the main production area of China's oil olive capital. It has been introducing and developing oil olives for 40 years, having successively gone through four stages of development: introduction trials, demonstration and promotion, adjustment and consolidation, and large-scale development. In 2014 it was named “Hometown of Chinese Oil Olives” by the Chinese Cereals and Oils Association.
3. China's hometown of Chinese white olives: The Chinese white olive is one of Puning's major traditional fruits, with a long history of cultivation and found throughout the city. The main production areas include Lihu, Meitang, Hongyang, Guangtai, Shipai, Gaopu, Chuanpu and other places. The city's planting area is more than 8,000 hectares, with a total output of 4,000 tons, ranking first nationwide. In June 1996, Puning was named “Hometown of Chinese White Olives” by the Ministry of Agriculture, and in March 2006 it was approved and recognized as a “Famous and Excellent South Subtropical Chinese White Olive Base” by the South Subtropical Crops Office of the Ministry of Agriculture.